| Abstract: | Polycarbonate heterogeneous cation exchange membranes were prepared by solution casting techniques using tetrahydrofuran as solvent and cation exchange resin powder as functional groups agent. The effect of resin ratio loading on properties of prepared membranes was studied. Also, transport properties of the prepared membranes for mono and bivalent cations were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy and scanning optical microscopy were used for the membranes structure investigation. Images showed that increase of resin ratio in casting solution results in a highly uniform phase to form. Formation and propagation of voids, cavities, and cracks were facilitated through higher resin ratio loading. The water content, surface hydrophilicity, specific surface area, ion exchange capacity, ion concentration, ionic permeability, conductivity, flux, and current efficiency of the membranes were enhanced and their energy consumption, oxidative stability, and mechanical strength were declined by increase of resin ratio loading. Moreover, membranes showed higher ionic flux, current efficiency, and lower energy consumption for sodium ions in comparison with bariums. Furthermore, with the increase of resin loading, permselectivity, membrane potential and transport number of membranes were improved for monovalent ions and diminished for bivalent ones. Also, membranes exhibited lower membrane potential, selectivity, and transport number for bivalent ions in comparison with the monovalent type. |
